Sonia's Trial
by TyrothDarkstorm
Summary: As Sonia grows older, she also develops as an individual, gaining new interests and experiences. But when she decides that she wants to join the Chicago Knights, her adoptive uncle isn't very thrilled. Becoming a crime fighter is a very big thing, but Sonia is willing and eager to prove herself. Though, she may have to do it in ways she didn't expect. Complete.
1. Chapter 1

**Time for another story, and this time a shorter one focusing on little Sonia, the Chameleon girl of Mutopia.  
As you'll see shortly, this takes place roughly two years after Cursed and Blessed, when the Geckoling twins were born.  
**

**Sonia's Trial**

**Chapter 1**

**Something to Prove**

In the mutant sanctuary of Mutopia, hidden deep underground, beneath Chicago, Tyroth the Dragon stood by the exit together with his fellow crime-fighters, the Chicago Knights, as they readied themselves for the patrol of the night. In his arms, he held his two children, the Geckoling twins Freya and Loki, now just over two years old, both clinging to their father, but their eyes lingering on their mother, Sephie the Gecko.

"Good luck on the patrol, guys." Tyroth said. "And remember, don't hesitate to call me if you need my help."

"Don't worry, boss." said Jack the Wolf, second in command of the Knights. "We'll be careful."

"Yeah, you just focus on your little angels there." said Heather the Dragonfly.

"Are you sure that you don't want me to stay with you, love?" Sephie asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't, dear, and I know that you would want to as well. But we got a responsibility towards the city, and there is safety in numbers. Plus, I also need to take care of these two."

"Any of us could do that, big brother." said Amber the Marine Iguana. "Just say the word and we will pitch in."

"I know that, sis, but it's my turn, and I want to spend some time with my children as well." said Tyroth. Shortly after, Loki let out a for him big yawn, which caused Freya to do the same. "Though, it seems like it's time for a nap for them. I'll go and tuck them in as soon as you're on your way."

The mutants nodded in understanding and double-checked their equipment just to be sure. Sephie took the time to give both of her children a soft kiss on their cheeks.

"Bye, my little gems. Mommy won't be long."

"...bye… Mommy…" Freya said through another yawn.

"Bye bye…" Loki said in a lower voice.

"Oh, I'm gonna miss you all so much. Remember that I love you, and be nice to Daddy, okay?" The twins nodded slightly at their mother's request.

As the mutants left, Sephie turned around and waved to her family an extra time before closing the hidden doors, and her children waved back with their tiny hands.

* * *

With the other Knights away, Tyroth made his way back to the twin's room, where he tucked them in in their crib, making sure that their blanket covered both of them. It didn't take long before both of them had fallen asleep, but not before they hugged their favourite stuffed toys, a teddy bear and a red dragon, each being held closely.

Tyroth smiled as he watched his son and daughter snuggle up together, and he hoped that they would remain close throughout their lives. After ten minutes, being certain that they were fast asleep, he set the baby monitor and quietly made his way out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

They would probably sleep for an hour or two, which meant that he could have gone with the others on patrol had he wanted to, but he wanted to be there for his children, and with them sleeping and the others away, he would have ample time to think and plan for the future of the twin, as they would have very different lives compared to other children, even those of their friends in New York.

Time seemed to fly by so fast. It had already been a little over two years since the twins were born, and they were growing well. They were already almost as big as their adoptive cousin Pandora, who was now close to her fifth year, while their adoptive human cousin Kemeko, just under two years, was still a bit on the smaller side. Still, all of the children were healthy and growing, and they all got along well whenever they met, and that was what mattered.

"Uncle Tyroth!" a voice called out, snapping Tyroth out of his thoughts. Looking to his left, he saw the owner of the voice hurrying up to him.

It was Sonia the Chameleon, his adoptive niece, and for the longest time, the only child in Mutopia, now the oldest child in the sanctuary, at ten and a half year. She was wearing black sweatpants with a short blue skirt over them, and a bright purple tee, her shoulder long blonde hair was tied up in two low pigtails, and her skin was a bright purple.

"Uncle Tyroth. Oh, are the twins sleeping?" she said once she stood next to the dragon, who nodded in response, to which Sonia lowered her voice. "Sorry."

"It's okay." Tyroth said in a low voice after listening by the door for a moment, feeling relieved that the Geckolings seemed to still be sleeping.

Leading Sonia aside so that they could speak without worry.

"So, what did you want, Sonia?" he asked as they sat down on a bench.

"I wanted to talk to you, Uncle Tyroth."

"I gathered that much, but about what?"

"I want to be a Chicago Knight!" Sonia declared proudly, but Tyroth wasn't pleasantly surprised.

"You want to be a Chicago Knight?"

"Yes, just like I said! Just like you, Aunt Sephie, and the others too! Aren't you happy?"

"Honestly, not very much, no." Tyroth answered, and Sonia's face fell and her skin turned blue.

"Why not?" she asked. "I thought you would be happy."

"Why do you want to be a Knight anyway?"

"Because you are one, and Aunt Sephie too, and I want to help you all."

"Listen, Sonia. Being a Knight is a huge thing, and it's very dangerous. There have been several times where we've been lucky to escape with only injuries. Not to mention all the training that comes with it to stay in shape."

"But why can't I?" Sonia asked, her skin turning more red as she started to get a little angry. "I heard Uncle Raph and Leo talk about training Pandora and Kemeko once they're older. And I've heard you and Aunt Sephie talking about doing the same with the Geckolings. I'm older than all of them, so why can't I train too?"

"Look, I understand your reasoning, but there are different circumstances for the other kids." Tyroth explained calmly. "They got the Foot over in New York, which are probably our most dangerous enemies, and thus Pandora and Kemeko need to know how to defend themselves when they get older. Compared to New York, Chicago is pretty safe."

"But what about Freya and Loki then?"

"They are part dragon, and dragons used to be the guardians of humankind. I have no doubt that they, just like me, will try their hardest to protect people simply because it's in their blood. And on top of that, they both possess magic, which has to be mastered and tempered with special training. I constantly try to figure out how and when to implement it in their lives."

"Okay, fine, I can understand that, but it still don't explain why I can't."

"Because you don't have to. You don't have to fight crime and evil, and quite frankly, I don't want you too. I wouldn't be able to bear it if you got hurt."

"Uncle, I'm not a little girl any more."

"You'll always be my little girl." Tyroth chuckled, gently ruffling Sonia's hair and making her entire body turn light pink as she blushed at the compliment. "But I understand that you won't let this go, and you are growing up whether I want it or not. Give me about… fifteen minutes to get ready, then meet me in the dojo, and we'll see."

"Really?! Yay!"

* * *

A little later, Sonia ran into the dojo, eager to get started with whatever Tyroth had in mind for her, her skin coloured orange to match her excitement. She enjoyed coming to the dojo, especially when the others were training so that she could watch them, but she would also sneak in on her own every now and then, checking what equipment the Knights had used, seeing if she could do something similar once they would let her.

The dojo was filled with weights, skipping ropes, various objects such as boards and tires that could be set up as obstacle courses, large mats that people could spar on, and a more recent addition, hooks in the cave ceiling that they could set up climbing ropes and hoops in.

As she entered, she saw Tyroth setting up something that included a small set of blocks and pulleys hanging from a hook in the ceiling and some on the floor as well, a fishing line, a belt and a… candy bar?

"I'm here, Uncle Tyroth." Sonia announced, looking curiously at what he was doing.

"Right on time too. You really are eager for this."

"Yep! So, when do we start?"

"Slow down, little one. First, there's a little test that you need to clear before we'll think about actually training you as a Knight."

"What is it? Come on, bring it on, I can do it!" she said, barely able to stand still.

"First, let's see just how high you can jump."

"Jump? Just jump? Seriously?"

"Yes, as high as you can. Give it your all."

Sonia didn't understand what jumping would prove, but it seemed easy enough so she did as asked. Really giving it her all, she managed to jump as high as Tyroth was tall, over two metres, which was very impressive for a ten year-old.

But that wasn't the test, instead Tyroth used it as a measurement as he began making adjustments to the setup he had assembled, specifically to the length of the fishing line running through the blocks and pulleys. Once he was done, he instructed Sonia to stand directly underneath, then wrapped the belt around her waist with one end of the fishing line tied to it, and in the other end hung the wrapped candy bar.

"There, that should do it."

"So, what am I supposed to do?"

"It's quite simple really." Tyroth explained. "I've put the candy bar at the very edge of your reach, and all you have to do is to get it, without doing anything to the setup I've fixed here."

"That's it? Sounds easy. And when I get the candy, you'll start training me, right?"

"One thing at a time, sweetie. First you have to clear this."

Sonia smiled, thinking that she had it all in a bag, but as she jumped, the line tied to her belt was pulled through the system of blocks and pulleys, and thus the candy bar stayed the same distance from her, and would remain there no matter how high she jumped. Not that she gave up because of that, she gave it several more tries, really pushing herself to her limits.

"This is stupid! I can't reach that! It's impossible!" she cried out when she stopped, having turned more and more red with every failed attempt. "Every time I jump, it's pulled away! How am I supposed to reach it?"

"That's for you to figure out. It's part of the test."

"But how? How am I going to do it? Please, tell me!"

"Sorry, Sonia, but that's not the exercise. If I were to tell you how to do it, then that's all you would learn. I want you to learn why you need to do it."

"What do you mean?"

"See it like this; if I tell you that two times three equals six, then you know that. But if I ask you what two times three is, and you solve it, then you know not only that, but also **why** the answer is six. It's the why of this test that you need to learn."

"So you won't let me train then?" Sonia asked, her skin a darker blue to match her disappointment from failing and not understanding.

"Not yet at least, but spend some time thinking about this test, and what I said, and when you think you know the answer, you can do the test again."

Sonia pouted slightly at the answer, but at least Tyroth didn't say that she wouldn't be allowed to train at all.

"No need to be upset, Sonia. This is a good way to see if you're ready for what you want, and I'm certain that you'll figure it out eventually."

"But I wanted to join you guys now."

"All in due time, little one. Now, chin up, 'cause we'll be having guests tomorrow."

"Guests? Do you mean the New Yorkers?" Sonia asked, changing to yellow as her curiosity grew and then to orange when Tyroth nodded in response.

Suddenly, cries could be heard from the baby monitor that Tyroth carried with him.

"Looks like someone didn't want to sleep any longer." the dragon chuckled. "We'll continue this discussion another time, Sonia. Right now, I have somewhere I need to be."

As Tyroth hurried off to take care of his children, Sonia stayed behind a while, thinking of what he had said. No matter how hard she thought about it, she just didn't understand what she was supposed to do to clear the test, nor what it was she was meant to learn from it, and it frustrated her.

The thought would continue to linger in the back of her mind, even though she tried to put it aside. But she wanted so badly to join the others as crime-fighters, as a Chicago Knight, and she would find a way to prove to the adults that she could do it.

**First chapter done, as if you couldn't tell. Jokes aside, Sonia clearly ain't happy about Tyroth not wanting her to be a crime fighter like him and the others, and feels left out, which I understand, but I can also agree with Tyroth. If you don't have to fight, you should't seek to fight.**

**Still, things are just getting started, so let's see where they end up.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Up For A Challenge**

The next evening, the entrance to the hidden sanctuary was opened, as the awaited guests had arrived. Carrying several bags of luggage, they were immediately greeted and helped by the Mutopians, especially the Chicago Knights, getting escorted to the guest rooms. Leonardo was carrying Kemeko, his adopted daughter, while Monalisa led Pandora by the hand, though when Sonia arrived, Pandora hurried over to her older cousin.

"Sonia!" she squealed in glee as she met the chameleon with a hug.

"Hey, Pandora! Did you miss me?"

"Uh-huh! I missed you lots!"

"And you know what? I missed you lots too! We're gonna have so much fun!"

"Yay!"

"Just look at her." Amber gushed over Pandora, and then Kemeko. "And this little princess too. They both just keep on getting bigger every time I see them."

"And we can say the same about the Geckolings." said Donatello, looking over to Sephie and Tyroth, who each held one of the twins.

"Yeah, I still remember when they were born." said Michelangelo. "They were so tiny, I bet you could have fitted them in a shoebox each. Or the same one if it was shoes that fit Big T."

"We've been here just over a minute, and already you're having those kinds of thought?" said Raphael. "That must be a new record."

"It was a long trip, bro. I've gotten restless and want to do something."

"Don't worry about that, Mikey." said Tyroth. "We'll make sure that we're all kept busy enough."

"That we will!" said Sephie. "But first, we have to think about our little ones."

* * *

A few minutes later, after everyone had gotten settled in, they gathered outside the twins' playroom, where Pandora, Kemeko, Freya and Loki began to play together with foam building blocks and their favourite stuffed animals, the adults all took a moment to just watch the children having fun together.

"You know, I may not be a parent…" Sharky said. "But this makes everything we do so much more worth it."

"I know what you mean, man." said Jack. "We'd still fight crime all the same, but knowing that we all got these little miracles to come home to, makes sure that we always have the motivation to keep going."

"Children can be a handful from time to time, but I wouldn't trade it for the world." said Monalisa.

"Same here." said Leonardo. "Though, sometimes I worry for Kemeko. Being the only human in a family of mutants, I fear that she might start to feel like an outsider one day, despite being greatly loved by us all."

"Not much we can do about that, I'm afraid." said Donatello. "We'll just have to be there and support her as best we can. And if she's anything like her mother, she'll be fine."

"And, hey, if it gets too bothersome being human for her, there's always the well." Percy said, but that earned him glares from everyone, aside from Leonardo and Tyroth.

"Can't you just shut up for once, vermin?" Kate growled, gripping the handle of the whip on her hip.

"Please, everyone, it's okay." Leonardo said, looking surprisingly calm about it all. "The possibility has been brought up before." he continued, sharing a knowing look with the dragon. "And while it is an option, it is a decision that she will have to make herself, if she wants to, once she's old enough. Until then, she'll remain as she is."

"I didn't mean anything bad with it, man." Percy explained. "Just speaking my mind is all. I mean, we all want the kids to be happy."

"I know, and I appreciate the thought, but such a thing is in the future. For now, I'm happy to let the children be just that, children, so that they can enjoy a good life."

"Well, there is no need to worry here." said Heather. "Here, we are all one big family, and what each of us is doesn't matter, it's who we are that is important. If she ever feels like she doesn't belong with you and us, we can always remind her about that fact."

"Well said, Heather." said Monalisa with a smile. "I honestly can't imagine life without you all. It's reassuring to know that there are fellow mutants, and good people like you, in the world."

"And we say the same." said Sarah. "But now that the kids are having fun, how about we have some fun too?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me." said Michelangelo, stretching a bit to rid himself of the stiffness from the ride from New York. "Master Splinter said we weren't going to do any training until tomorrow, because of the trip and all, so I'm up for whatever you got planed."

"Oh, I think we can figure something out." said Tyroth.

"Yeah, especially in a few days." said Sephie with a wide smile.

"Got something special in mind?" Donatello asked.

"In a way, yeah." Sephie responded with a nod. "You see, there will be a concert in a few days, over in Eckhart Park. Lot's of different bands will be performing."

"That sounds like fun." said Raphael, holding his chin while thinking about it. "But I hope you got a good plan on how we're going to do that, 'cause I doubt it will be a masquerade party as well."

"There are a few taller buildings near the park." Kate clarified. "We should be able to at the very least hear it without any trouble."

"I must say, you Mutopians sure now how to enjoy yourselves." Leonardo chuckled.

"We just take what opportunities we can." Sharky said with a wide smile.

"I don't blame you. But, if we're going to this concert, we should make sure that we have someone that can babysit the children."

"That won't be a problem, all of Mutopia will gladly help with that, and you can trust all of them, maybe save for one." said Jack, thinking of a certain rat, a thought that also crossed the minds of the others as well. "All you have to do is pick someone that will be responsible."

That's when Sonia got an idea. If she were to watch the younger children, that could show the adults that she was indeed ready to train to become a crime-fighter just like them, in fact, if enough of them were convinced, maybe they could convince Tyroth as well, so that she didn't have to deal with that test of his.

"Um… I can do that." Sonia said, gaining the attention of the adults. "I can babysit them."

"Listen, don't get me wrong, kid, but aren't you a little too young for that kind of work?" said Raphael, to which Sonia glared at him, turning red.

"I'm not a little kid any more, I'll be eleven in less than half a year! That's almost teenager level!"

"I believe you." Tyroth said, walking over and kneeling by the chameleon girl, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If you think that you're up for this, then I believe you, Sonia. But this is a big responsibility, so think carefully before you decide."

"It's no question, Uncle Tyroth. I know that I can do it."

"She's confident, I'll give her that." said Kate.

"And she is growing up as well." said Monalisa. "I say that we let her, and should anything happen, there are many that she could ask for help, so I feel confident that our children will be well looked after."

"I agree with you, Mona." said Sephie, to which Sonia turned orange, feeling that her plan was working. "What about you, Leo?"

"Hmm, well to be honest, I think she's old enough to take some responsibility around here, and if she wants to look after Kemeko and the others, I trust her to be able to. I just hope that all four of them won't be too much for her to start with."

"Don't worry, Uncle Leo, I can handle them. Besides, they all like me, so there won't be any problems."

"Then I guess it's settled." said Tyroth. "We'll just make sure that the children have been fed and changed before we leave, and then we leave them in Sonia's care."

The other parents all nodded in agreement, and Sonia couldn't fully hold back her cheer. She knew, she just knew, that this was the first step to become a Chicago Knight like the others, and she wouldn't give up until she reached that goal.

Besides, she had looked after the other children for shorter periods before, so how hard could this be?

**A little shorter chapter, but I still think it delivered it's message.**

**Sonia sure thinks that babysitting all four will be a piece of cake, but we'll see about that. The question is, is she really ready for all that? Guess we'll see about that too.**

**The part about letting Kemeko drink from the well is a reference to a very simialr conversation back in Bloodrayne666's story 'A Father's Lament', in which Leonardo and Tyroth briefely discuss the very same thing.**

**Well, with that out of the way, see you next time.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**First Rule Of Babysitting**

A few days later, the night for the concert arrived, and the Knights and Ninja were gathered by the entrance to the sanctuary, ready to leave, together with a few other Mutopians that were also interested in the event.

"Alright, let's go over this one final time." said Tyroth, addressing the group. "We'll go through the sewers until we arrive at the building where we'll listen to the concert from. It's quite high up, so be prepared to do some climbing, and remember, it's still only early in the night, so many humans are still bound to be awake. Stay alert and out of sight. Now, I don't expect us to be attacked by anyone, but if it does happen, we combatants will make sure that the others gets to safety first."

"We gotcha, Big T." said Raphael.

"Yeah, this will go without any problems." said Jack.

With the others all nodding in agreement, Tyroth turned around to face Sonia.

"And you know what to do too?" he asked.

"I do, Uncle Tyroth." she said, her orange colour betraying how excited she was. "I'll keep watch over the kids, make sure that they get to bed when it's time for their naps, and give them something small to eat."

"And if you need any help with anything?" Tyroth inquired.

"Then I'll ask an adult, like Tania or James, but never Rattletrap."

"Glad you got that last part right." Sephie chuckled.

"Seems you got everything under control." Tyroth said with a smile, ruffling Sonia's hair and making her giggle. "We'll be back in a couple of hours. Then we'll want to hear how things went, okay?"

"Okay!" she said, giving a thumbs up.

"Good luck, kiddo! You might need it!" said Michelangelo, to which Kate gave him a soft elbow in the side. "I mean… not that you'll need it."

"Don't worry! I got this!"

* * *

With the adults on their way, Sonia was now in sole command of the other children. At least, that's how she felt, and she was looking forward to when the others returned and praised her for her excellent performance.

Since the most demanding chores of the children having already been taken care of by their parents, Sonia expected everything to go smoothly from that point onward.

Only time would tell if she was right.

Gathering some of the toys, Sonia moved the children to the recreation room, where they would have more room to play and they could use the TV to watch a movie later on if they wanted to, and with the rest of the adults busy with their own things, the children had the room all to themselves.

After a little while, the children were playing happily with each other, and Sonia felt that things would go smoothly all night. She felt so sure about it that she didn't even think twice about leaving the children alone for a short moment, while she hurried over to the canteen.

"Louie? Louie, are you here?" she asked as she approached the kitchen.

"Is that you, Sonia?" the cockroach responded, looking up from his work. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for something that the kids and I can eat. You know, a little snack."

"A snack, huh? And for the little children to boot? Give me a few minutes, and I'll see what I can do."

After finishing up what he currently was working on and washing up, he walked over to the larders to see what he had to offer. A few minutes later, he had prepared a pair of plates with some cookies and pieces of fruit respectively.

"There you go, Sonia. This should be just what you need." he said as he gave her the plates.

"Thank you, Louie! This will be great!"

As Sonia hurried back to the other kids, Louie chuckled a little at how mature Sonia tried to be, and silently prayed that the children wouldn't get too hyper from the cookies, even though they were pretty low on sugar.

* * *

Returning to the recreation room, Sonia saw that the children were still playing together, but as she placed the plates on a table, she realised that something was missing, or rather someone.

"Pandora?" she asked out, listening for an answer, but it never came. "Where's Pandora?"

"Pandora gone." Freya answered, and her twin brother nodded in agreement.

"Gone gone!" he said.

"She's gone?!" Sonia exclaimed, feeling a hint of panic forming inside her, turning her almost black. "That wasn't part of my plan! Where did she go?!"

"She out." Kemeko said, clutching her panda bear closely.

"Okay, okay, this is fine, I can find her." Sonia told herself, trying to calm down before turning back to the other children. "I'm going to go find Pandora, so stay here until I come back with her, okay?"

"Okay." the kids said almost in unison and continued to play as Sonia again left.

Luckily, she didn't have to go far. Looking around outside the room, she spotted Pandora by the canal, further down towards the entrance. It was with quick but careful steps that the chameleon girl moved, not wanting to startle the lizard/turtle hybrid on the off chance that she might fall into the canal.

"There you are, Pandora." Sonia said once she was closer, causing Pandora to look over her shoulder. "I've been looking for you. What are you doing out here?"

"Looking at the fishies." she replied happily, turning her attention back to the canal.

Standing beside her, Sonia could see the fishes in the clear water as well, and she remembered that she would also look at them when she was that age, it was something soothing about it. As harmless as it was, Sonia couldn't let Pandora remain there without anyone watching over her, and there were three more kids that also needed to be supervised.

"Come on, Pandora, let's go back to the rec-room."

"But the fishies…"

"They'll still be here later. We can watch them together then."

"Okay…"

It was a bit reluctantly that Pandora was led back to the others, but her mood lifted almost instantly when she realised that there were snacks with their names for them.

Now all kids were collected again, Sonia had to think of something that would keep them all occupied for a while. Fortunately, she got a good suggestion from Kemeko.

"Son-ya? Can we watch Dino foot?"

"'Dino foot?'" Sonia repeated, scratching her head trying to figure out what Kemeko meant. "Oh, you mean Littlefoot, from the Land Before Time."

"Yeah yeah!" Kemeko cheered.

"I want too!" Freya joined in.

"Me too! Me too!" Loki cheered as well.

"Sure, we can watch that." Sonia said with a smile, to which all the children cheered even more.

"Yay!"

Giving the children a cookie each, as well as some fruit, Sonia proceeded with setting up for the movie, but no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find the actual movie anywhere in the room.

"Where is it? I know that I watched it just last month." she mumbled as she went through the video library the Mutopians had collected over the years. "Wait… I watched it in my room, it has to still be there then."

"No movie?" Freya asked, tilting her head slightly.

"Don't worry, I know where it is now, I'm just gonna go get it. You all just wait here and I'll be back."

A few minutes later, Sonia returned with the movie in hand, but she didn't like what she returned to.

Only Kemeko was still in the room, waiting patiently in the couch in front of the TV, while the other children were nowhere to be seen.

"Not again…" Sonia groaned. "I told them to wait here. Where have they gone now?"

"Out." Kemeko answered. "Pandora want to show fishies."

"That again? Ugh, guess I have to go get them then."

"No movie, Son-ya?" Kemeko asked.

"Don't worry, I'll start the movie for you before I go. But I want you to promise me that you'll stay here, okay?"

"Okay, Son-ya."

A few minutes later, the movie was rolling, and Kemeko could enjoy watching Littlefoot and his friends on their first quest, while Sonia left on one of her own, the search for the missing children.

**So it begins, and Sonia sure was confident to begin with, but she's already lost track of a whole 75% of the kids. That won't look very good on her resume. She's learning the hard way that babysitting isn't as easy as one might think, but at least Kemeko is behaving as Sonia wanted them to.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Gotta Catch 'Em All!  
**

Hurrying out of the rec-room, Sonia's eyes scanned the nearby surroundings for the missing children, namely Pandora, Freya and Loki, but she couldn't see them anywhere.

"Oh man, where have they gone?" she said, turning yellow with worry.

Mutopia was big, but they were still very young, so there weren't that many places that they could have gone, not that fast at least, and that was about the only comfort Sonia had at the time. That and the fact that Kemeko stayed where she was told.

Sighing, Sonia began searching nearby rooms, hoping to get lucky. She could have asked an adult for help, but she didn't want them to know what had happened, as that could ruin her chances of becoming a Knight one day. She just hoped that no one would ask her about them, since she's a horribly liar due to her colour matching her stronger emotions, instantly betraying her whether she wanted it or not.

With no luck with the rooms closest to the rec-room, she kept going along the wall, keeping her eyes and ears open. After walking nearly the entire length of the village, and checking every room on the way that wasn't someone's personal quarters, she finally reached the workshop.

Before she could even open the door however, she heard someone yelp in pain inside, followed by laughter, laughter of someone small.

Opening the doors, Sonia found the owners of both sounds.

Rattletrap was working on something as usual, and had managed to set fire to the tip of his tail, also as usual, while Loki was sitting on a stool nearby and laughing at the scene. The Geckoling seemed to have taken a liking to Rattletrap, or at least his hobby, and Sonia prayed that he wouldn't be as bad as the rat if he indeed did pick it up.

While Rattletrap was busy putting out his burning tail, Sonia hurried over to Loki so that she could get out of the workshop, preferably before anything explodes.

"What were you doing in there, Loki?" she asked as she gently led him back to the rec-room by the hand.

"Looking at Rattletrap working. He funny."

"I guess he is." Sonia chuckled. "But it can be dangerous in there, especially when he works on something. We don't want you to get hurt, do we?"

"No. That's bad."

"Yes it is. Now, let's go back to the rec-room. Kemeko is already watching the movie."

"Okay."

But as they approached the rec-room, the shrill scream of Kemeko reached their ears, and Sonia turned yellow in fear of that something really bad had happened.

"Kemeko?!" she cried out as she hurried into the room as fast as she could, while still holding on to Loki. She found the small Japanese girl still sitting in the couch, crying while hugging her panda so hard that it seemed it would break.

"Kemeko, what's wrong?!"

"Sharptooth!" Kemeko sobbed loudly, pointing at the TV, where a very familiar scene had just played out.

"It's okay, Kemeko. It can't hurt you, and I'm here, and so is Loki." Sonia soothed as she helped Loki into the couch as well and then gave the little girl a well needed hug. She remembered how scared she used to be when she watched the same movie at a younger age, and she mentally kicked herself for leaving Kemeko to watch that scene all alone.

But what choice did she have? She had to find the other kids before anything bad happen to them. Taking the remote, she hit fast-forward so that they would be past the scarier part.

"There, Sharptooth is gone now, but he might be back later. But if you get scared, Loki is here for you, okay, Kemeko?"

The human girl looked at Loki, who moved closer and hugged her.

"I'll keep you safe." he said.

"Okay." Kemeko said with a half sob, returning the hug.

"There, all good." said Sonia as she stood up. "I still have to find Freya and Pandora, but I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"Okay, Son-ya." the kids chorused.

* * *

With one down and two to go, Sonia was starting to feel a little calmer, but she still couldn't afford to relax, as she still didn't have a clue of where to look.

But as she ran across the bridges over the canal, she saw something at the top of her vision that made her stop and take another look.

Up on the second floor, where all but a few inhabitants had their rooms, she saw that one of them had its door ajar, which was strange as everyone valued the privacy they had in their rooms and kept the doors closed.

Walking up the stairs to investigate, Sonia realized which room it was, the one belonging to Tyroth and Sephie. But they were both out for the night, away on that concert, and no one enters someone else's room without a good reason, so why was the door open.

Looking in, Sonia went pale.

"Oh no…"

There were clothes everywhere. On the bed, on the floor, on the TV, on the rest of the furniture, and on the culprit.

Standing by a mirror, haphazardly dressed in clothes far too big, was none other than Freya.

"Freya… what have you done?" Sonia half gasped, seeing the mess.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Son-ya!" Freya said cheerfully when she noticed the chameleon.

"What are you doing, Freya?!"

"Dress up! I want to be as pretty as Mommy! Am I pretty?" the Geckoling asked, quickly spinning around and almost tripping on the clothes.

"You've made such a mess…" Sonia said, trying to wrap her head around it all.

"Am I not pretty?" Freya asked, looking at Sonia with sad eyes.

"Yes, yes, you're very pretty." Sonia answered and took a few breaths to calm herself. "But dress up is over now, so let's go back to the rec-room. The movie has already started."

"Littlefoot! Yay! I wanna watch!"

"Then let's get you out of those clothes and then you can watch the movie."

"Yay!"

Leading Freya back to the others, Sonia looked back over her shoulder, taking one more look at the chaos that they were leaving behind.

'I have to clean that up before the adults come back! Aunt Sephie is gonna kill me if she sees it!'

* * *

Luckily, it was very simple to leave off Freya in the rec-room. As soon as they got there, she ran over to the others in the couch and joined them, picking up her stuffed dragon on the way.

With both twins back where they were supposed to be, only Pandora was missing, and Sonia hoped that she hadn't made as big of a mess as Freya had. But first, Sonia had to find her.

* * *

Having already checked several of the public areas in the village, there weren't that many left, and Pandora had to be in one of them. Unless she had gone into the caves, with the temple, dojo and hot spring, or even deeper. The thought terrified Sonia, she knew that even the adults were careful not to get lost in the labyrinth-like network of caves that lay below the surface, and if Pandora had wandered off into them, there was a very real risk that they might never find her again.

After having checked the kitchen, Sonia continued to the green-room, where Mutopia grew most of their own food. Entering it, she saw that there were no adults around, but neither was Pandora it seemed. Still, she took the time to call out for the small hybrid, just to be on the safe side.

"Pandora? Are you in here?"

She waited with baited breath for a response, but it never came. Sighing, she had no other choice but to keep looking elsewhere, but she was running out of places to look.

But as she turned around to leave, a faint sound caught her ear that made her stop for a moment and listen closer. Somewhere in the room, she could hear what sounded as a giggle, but it was obstructed, like if someone was trying to stifle or muffle it.

"Pandora?" she asked again, turning around and trying to focus on the giggle, which stopped for a few moments, only to continue shortly after.

Walking among all the large cultivation boxes, Sonia kept her eyes and ears open, and occasionally she heard the stifled giggle again, and as she neared the far end of the green-room, she saw a shadow on the ground that seemed out of place.

As she got closer, the giggle became more clear, and the shadow moved a bit. With one final step, Sonia rounded the corner of the box, finding Pandora crouched and pressed up against it, making her squeal in surprise.

"There you are!" Sonia said in equal triumph and relief.

"You found me!" Pandora cheered. "You're good at hide and seek!"

"Hide and seek? You were playing hide and seek?"

"Uh-huh. First I showed the twins the fishies, then we played hide and seek!"

"Pandora…" Sonia sighed, pinching her nose-ridge, something that she was starting to understand why adults did sometimes.

"What? Have I done something wrong?"

"No, it's just… next time, could you tell me if you're going to play? That way, I can play too."

"Okay!"

"Now, come on, if we hurry, you might just see at least half of the movie." Sonia said, taking Pandora's hand.

"Littlefoot!" Pandora exclaimed. "I had forgotten about Littlefoot! Let's hurry!"

Rather than her leading Pandora back to the rec-room, it was now the hybrid that led Sonia, almost pulling her along, and at a far faster pace than Sonia had expected, but she didn't mind, in fact she was happy that she had found everyone.

She just prayed that the others still were where she had left them, otherwise she'd have to go through that whole circus again. And she had more than enough to do as it was.

**Sonia finally found all the kids, but she still has a lot of work to do before she can relax. Maybe she won't be so enthusiastic about babysitting in the future. Possibly about getting kids of her own one day too, if that ever comes up.**

**Obvious reference: Title is the catchphrase of the Pokémon series.**

**Heh, 'catch'-phrase. Totally unintended, I swear.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Clean Up**

With Pandora almost dragging her back to the rec-room, even though the roles were supposed to be reversed, Sonia was glad that she had managed to find everyone, especially before they had gotten into any form of trouble or similar, even though Freya had made a mess in her parents' room.

Once the duo entered the rec-room, Pandora let go of Sonia's hand and ran over to the couch where the other kids were still sitting. Seeing that everyone was where they were supposed to be, Sonia felt a wave of relief wash over her. With how the night had gone so far, she had half expected that at least the twins would have been missing again, but everything seemed calm.

However, that didn't mean that she could relax, she still had work to do before the adults return from the concert, but she had to make sure that the children stayed put until she was done, really stayed put.

"Okay everyone." she began. "I need to go do some things really quick, and I want you to all stay here until I come back, and that means you too Pandora."

"But, Sonia…" Pandora pouted.

"No buts, Pandora. I want you all to promise me that you'll stay here, okay?"

"Okay." the children said together.

"Look, I know that it might seem rough, but you still have half the movie left, and when it's over you can all play together until I come back. Plus, you still got fruit and cookies, so feel free to share them with each other."

The reminder of cookies instantly cheered up Pandora, and the others were equally happy about getting sweets, so before leaving, Sonia placed the plates on the table in front of them, and they instantly helped themselves to them.

"There, I'll go now, but I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

"Mmokayy." the children said, each with a mouthful of either cookie or fruit, and Sonia silently prayed that she hadn't made another mistake.

* * *

Standing in the doorway to Tyroth and Sephie's room, Sonia stared at the mess that Freya had caused, wondering how she could have done so much in such a short time. She must have practically emptied Sephie's dresser of all the clothes it once held, and now they were all over the floor and furniture of the room.

"Aunt Sephie's gonna kill me if she sees this mess." Sonia said as she started picking up the clothes from the floor and placing them on the bed for the moment. "And what's worse, Uncle Tyroth will never let me become a Knight."

After having gathered all the clothes on the bed, she dusted off and folded each and everyone of them, putting them back in the dresser as she went on. It took her at the very least twenty minutes to take care of the clothes, and then she still had to clean up the rest of the room, remaking the bed, putting things in place again, and anything else that might have been affected by Freya playing dress-up.

Finally done, Sonia sighed in relief, and was about to leave to head back to the children. But as she turned around, she felt her tail hitting something.

Instantly turning back, she saw that she had accidentally hit a small vase with her tail, and it was now in danger of falling off the low shelf it stood on. That specific vase was a gift from Tyroth's mother, and thus very important to the couple.

Sonia panicked and lashed out with her hands as quick as she could, hoping to catch it before it was too late.

She just barely managed to grab it, but her grip was poor and as she tried to hold it steady, it was launched out of her hands. Her scales turned yellow in fear, and she jumped after the vase, landing on her stomach as she managed to catch it, but again, her grip wasn't good enough and it was launched into the air again.

Trying desperately to get up and catch it, Sonia still wasn't able to reach it, and could only watch in horror as time seemed to slow to a crawl as the vase fell, her mouth open in a silent scream.

Suddenly, her tongue shot out from her mouth, extending to a length matching the length of the rest of her body, hitting the bottom of the vase. But rather than pushing it away, or worse still, breaking it, the tongue stuck to the vase, and as it rapidly retracted, it pulled the vase along with it, straight into the arms of Sonia.

Holding the vase tightly, Sonia had turned white as a sheet, not knowing what just happened, as her tongue detached from the vase and retracted back into her mouth. It was with wobbly legs and shaky hands that she carefully put the vase back where it belonged, after which she slowly backed away, only to collapse onto the floor.

"W-what… w-what… w-what was… th-that…?" her heart pounded like a jackhammer. "W-what did I just do…? H-how? W-why? W-what's h-happening… t-to me…? W-what's wrong with me?"

Hundred thoughts raced through her mind and she didn't even know where to start. What had just happened, what her tongue did, she had never done something like that before, she didn't even know that she could, and she wasn't sure if she was supposed to be able to either.

She was terrified to no end. What if something was happening to her, something that would forever change her.

As she tried to make sense of it all, one thought caught her attention, a thought not related to the recent event, but to what she was supposed to do that night.

"The kids!" she exclaimed, remembering her job. "I have to get back to them!"

It was through a strong will and sense of responsibility that she was able to force the thoughts plaguing her aside. She would have to ask someone about them soon, but at that point, watching over the children was far more important.

* * *

By the time she reached the rec-room again, Sonia had almost regained her normal colour again, but it started to turn slightly yellow as she couldn't hear anything inside the room, aside from the title menu of the film looping over and over.

Stepping inside, she expected to discover that some or all of the children were missing again.

But she was pleasantly surprised that she was wrong.

In fact, all four of them had fallen asleep in the couch, all snuggled up against each other.

Sonia couldn't help but smile, feeling a sense of peace that she hadn't felt since before things stopped going according to plan. If they could only stay like that until the adults come back, things would be so much easier.

Fetching a blanket, Sonia gently tucked them all in, turned off the film and TV, and turned her attention to the small mess in the room.

There were lots of cookie crumbs and pieces of fruit on the floor around the couch, but miraculously none in the couch, and there were toys on the floor that also needed to be picked up and put away.

Working as quietly as she possibly could, as to not wake up the children, she slowly cleaned up the rec-room. It took a little while, but soon enough it looked as good as when they got there.

Finally done, Sonia took a moment to relax, sitting down in an armchair. The night had been harder on her than she had thought it would be. Looking at the sleeping children in the couch, she smiled at how adorable they all looked and how calm they were, if anyone saw them now they would never think that they would be hard to handle.

But that was a lie, and Sonia had learned that the hard way. Still, all is well that ends well, as the Mutopians like to say, and Sonia was proud of the fact that she had managed as well as she had.

Still, it had come at a cost, she was exhausted, and sitting down in the comfortable armchair made her feel just how much. Her eyelids felt heavy and began to droop, and before long, she too fell asleep.

**Poor Sonia, all worn out, but you can't say that she isn't responsible, and keeping watch over all the kids ain't as easy as one might think.  
And it also seems that she's never lashed out with her tongue before, despite being a chameleon. No wonder that scared her.**

**See you next time for the final chapter of this little story, where hopefully everything gets wrapped up nicely. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Lesson Learned**

The doors to Mutopia opened, and the group of mutants that had been away entered, having returned from their night out.

"Man, that was fun. Nice to just kick back and relax for a change." said Percy.

"Yeah, and they played a good mix of music too!" said Michelangelo.

"I'm glad that we did this." said Sarah. "Been years since I've been to a concert."

"When was the last time, if I may ask?" Leonardo asked.

"It was back when I was still human and travelled from place to place. I was in Detroit at that time, it was pretty good, but this was better, even if we couldn't get as close."

"Hopefully we can do this again someday." said Monalisa. "But now, I want to know how my little geisha is doing."

"You and me both, babe." said Raphael, putting an arm around his mate's waist. "I hope that Sonia's done good while we were away."

"I'm sure everything is fine." said Sephie, as they all headed towards the middle of the sanctuary.

But as they kept walking, they saw Rattletrap of all people standing outside the rec-room, looking inside with a smile on his face.

"Rattletrap? What are yo-" Sharky began, but was cut off by the rat hushing at them all.

"Keep yer voice down, fer cryin' out… um, low!" he said in a very hushed voice, pointing inside the room.

Looking inside, many of the adults couldn't help but letting an 'aww' escape when they saw what Rattletrap was smiling about.

Sitting in an armchair, Sonia was fast asleep, while the other four children were all snuggled up together under a blanket in a couch.

"Would you look at that. They are all sleeping." Heather whispered to the others.

"Poor things must be exhausted. I wonder what they've been up to." said Leonardo, also in a very quiet voice.

"We can ask Sonia when she wakes up." said Tyroth. "But I don't have the heart to wake her now, nor the others for the matter."

"Still, shouldn't we make sure that they at least get into bed properly?" asked Sephie. "As adorable as this is, I can't imagine that they'll feel too good if they sleep like this for long."

"We can do that, we just need to be really quiet and careful." said Monalisa, and the other parents nodded in agreement.

While the parents tended to the children, the other mutants all headed to the mess hall for something to eat, and so that they didn't disturb the little ones.

Leonardo took care of Kemeko, and Raphael of Pandora, while Sephie and Monalisa helped each other to take care of the twins, and Tyroth took care of Sonia. It took a little while to prepare them properly for bed, but with the ninja skills most of them possessed, the four youngest children were soon dressed in their pyjamas and put in their respective beds without even waking up.

Same thing with Sonia, who was sleeping so soundly that Tyroth wondered if anything could wake her before she was rested.

As the dragon pulled the duvet over the chameleon, he gave her a small kiss on her forehead. A small smile formed on her lips at the touch, and Tyroth kept that image in his memory as he left her to sleep in peace.

* * *

After several hours, Sonia woke up and stretched her arms over her head. As she turned on the lights, and saw where she was, she stopped for a moment, for something didn't add up.

"Wait… what am I doing in my room? And in my bed? Last thing I remember… I was in the rec-room with the-"

Her skin instantly turned yellow as she remembered.

"The kids! Where are they?! I have to find them!"

Getting dressed as quickly as she could, she hurried out through the door, but she came to an abrupt stop only a few steps outside it, as she ran into someone, almost falling onto her backside from the impact.

"Whoa, are you okay, Sonia?" a very familiar voice asked.

Looking up, Sonia saw that the person she had collided with was none other than her adoptive uncle Tyroth, who knelt down and helped her back up again.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" he asked.

"No, I'm fine, Uncle." Sonia answered, dusting off herself a bit. "But when did you get back?"

"Last night, just like we said we would."

"Last night?! How long have I been sleeping?!" Sonia exclaimed. "What time is it anyway?!"

"It's almost breakfast. I was actually on my way to see if you was awake yet."

"I've been sleeping since lunch yesterday?!"

"Pretty much."

"What about the kids?! Where are they?! Are they alright?!"

"Calm down, Sonia. They're just fine. We found them asleep in the rec-room when we got home, and you too for that matter. It took a little bit of effort getting you all to bed, but all of you were sleeping soundly through it all."

"Then they are okay?" Sonia asked, and Tyroth nodded in response, which calmed her down considerably.

"They are just fine. They didn't sleep as long as you did though, but we could handle them the last few hours before it was really time to go to bed. They were actually asking for you last night, and seemed to have had a good time as well, so you must have done a very good job. I'm sure that the others would like to hear how it went as well."

"They would?" Sonia said, not really feeling ready to explain what had happened. "Um, okay, sure..."

"Is something wrong, Sonia?" Tyroth asked, having noticed her discomfort. "You know you can talk with me about anything."

"I know, it's just that… well, it didn't quite go without problems, but I don't want to tell them that. I don't want them to think that they can't trust me, and I don't want to get the kids in trouble either."

"If you want the adults to trust you, you have to be honest, Sonia. That said, however, you don't have to tell them every tiny detail. Unless it is something serious, don't make a big deal of it. You can tell me all the details later, if you want to."

"Okay."

* * *

Joining the rest of the sanctuary for breakfast, it didn't take long before the other parents asked Sonia how it had gone. Following Tyroth's advice, Sonia told the truth, that it had mostly gone well, though there had been a few messes that she had to clean up, but she didn't elaborate any on it and the adults seemed to accept it just as well.

"With how well it seems to have gone, we might just let you watch the kids every time we need a babysitter." said Raphael as he helped Pandora with her food.

"Um… sure." Sonia responded with a forced smile, trying her hardest not to change colour to match her worry about it. Knowing just how hard it actually was babysitting, she wasn't too enthusiastic about doing it again any time soon, at least not all four children at the same time.

"If you want to, of course." Tyroth added, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I'll think about it."

* * *

An hour later, Sonia had asked to speak with Tyroth in private, taking him up on his offer, and she didn't leave anything out regarding what had happened the night before.

"… and that's when I fell asleep, I think." she finished, looking at her adoptive uncle with a hint of worry in her eyes. For the whole time, Tyroth had listened quietly, taking in every word she said.

"Sounds like you bit off more than you could chew. Maybe this was more than you were ready for."

"I at least tried!" Sonia objected.

"That you did, and I'm proud of you because of it." Tyroth said with a smile. "It's not easy to babysit a child, let alone four, but all things considered, I'd say that you did great."

"Really?"

"Yes. Sure, you might have had a few mishaps, but none of them serious, and you did your best at dealing with them. And now you know roughly what to expect in the future, if you want to babysit them again, that is."

"I don't know…" Sonia said, weighing her options. "Maybe I can watch only the twins next time?"

"We can arrange that." Tyroth chuckled. "And if there was nothing else, I think it's high time we get on with our day."

"There's one more thing, Uncle…" Sonia said, her voice and her now yellow skin colour betraying that this was something that worried her. "When I was cleaning up the mess in your and Aunt Sephie's room, I accidentally knocked over that vase that Grandma gave you."

Tyroth shot a glance at said vase, it stood safe and secure on its normal spot.

"It looks fine to me."

"It is, I managed to save it, but… it's how I saved it that worries me. I couldn't reach it, so I thought it would break, but somehow my… my tongue lashed out and grabbed it for me, and I don't know how I did that. Uncle, I'm scared."

"Your tongue, huh?" Tyroth held his chin in thought for a brief moment, then he smiled softly. "I don't think you need to worry about that, Sonia. It's perfectly normal."

"Normal?"

"Well, as normal as something can be for mutants like us. But it's a normal part of a chameleon's abilities, just like my fire breath, and your ability to change colour and move your eyes independently of each other."

"I don't like when my eyes do that. It makes me dizzy."

"That's because you're not used to seeing things like that. With some time and training, I bet you'd be able to do it without even noticing it. Just like your tongue eventually."

"Why haven't anyone told me that I can do that?"

"Well, I can't speak for the others, but personally I never saw any signs that you actually had that ability. Not everyone have every ability or trait that their animal part normally have, such as Kate lacking the skin snakes normally have over their eyes or the ability to shed her skin. But now you know that you can do that, so you've learned something new about your body, and knowing your own body is very important, especially if you want to join us as a crime fighter one day."

Sonia listened to what Tyroth said with great interest, since it's not every day that you discover a completely new ability that you wasn't aware of. Thinking of it for a while, a thought crossed her mind, one that she had to run through her head a few times before she was certain.

"Uncle Tyroth, I want to do that test again." she declared.

* * *

A few minutes later, the two reptiles stood in the dojo, just like the other day, and Tyroth quickly prepared the setup of blocks, pulleys, fishing line and candy, wrapping the belt around Sonia's waist.

"Okay, Sonia, let's see if you've figured this out then."

"You just wait and see, Uncle!" Sonia said with a determined tone.

She did a few quick stretches with her legs, then she locked her gaze on the candy above her. She was going to clear the test, she wouldn't accept anything else.

Launching herself as high as she could, the candy was still pulled out of her reach, just as before, yet she kept jumping several more times. The results seemed to be no different from her first time, but as she reached her top height of her latest jump, her tongue shot out and struck the candy bar, sticking to it as it was pulled back down together with her.

"Got it!" she said triumphantly, if with a bit of difficulty. It was still hanging by the fishing line two metres above the ground, but Sonia's tongue was stuck on it, so she clearly had it.

Blinking a few times, Tyroth managed to gather himself.

"Ha, that you do!" he said, undoing the candy from the fishing line, at which point Sonia's tongue detached itself from it as well. "I must admit, I didn't think of this solution. Well done!"

"I know! It took a while to figure out how to launch my tongue, but when I did, I still got it on the first try!" Sonia cheered.

However, her cheerful expression quickly faded and was replaced by a questioning look as a thought struck her.

"Wait, you said that you didn't know that I could launch my tongue like that, and that that wasn't the solution you had thought of. What was the solution then? How was I supposed to clear this test?"

"You could have asked me to give you the candy." Tyroth replied with a smile.

"WHAT?!" Sonia exclaimed, turning yellow in shock.

"It's true. All I said was that you had to get the candy and that you wasn't allowed to do anything with the setup. Never did I say that I couldn't help you with it."

"But you wouldn't say what I was supposed to do! How I was supposed to do it!"

"Because the goal was for you to learn something, and you have, even if you don't realise it."

"What do you mean?"

"My intention was for you to understand the importance of knowing when to ask for help, and that you can trust and rely on your friends and family. Even the strongest of us can only go so far alone. And you learned this when you babysat our kids yesterday, not to mention how you confided in me with all the details and your worries about your new ability."

A sense of realisation washed over Sonia as Tyroth's words sunk in. At first she had been mad at him, but as she understood what he said, and what she actually had learned, everything became much clearer.

"So, the test was unfair because you wanted me to ask for help?"

"That's right, but you cleared it anyway, with your new skill, and that taught you something as well. That you need to know your own body. All in all, I don't think this could have ended any better."

"Does that mean I get to be a Knight?"

"Not so fast, Sonia, you're not ready for that." Tyroth answered, and Sonia turned blue in response. But before she could say anything in response, Tyroth got down on one knee and place both hands on her shoulders. "First, you got a lot of training ahead of you, after all, you're but a Squire right now."

"A Squire? What's that?"

"See it as a Junior Knight, not yet ready, but well on her way."

Sonia's face lit up, and her skin changed to a bright pink, matching her happiness.

"Yes!" she cheered, throwing both her fists up in victory, followed by throwing her arms around Tyroth's neck. "Thank you, Uncle Tyroth!"

"You made this possible, Sonia, but don't expect this to be easy. Being a Knight is a dangerous occupation, and you might have to make some tough calls."

"I know, Uncle. I may have to kill, but I can still fight without that until I have no choice, and I'll be helping a lot of people, like you."

"Your heart is in the right place, Sonia, and that's just as important as a sharp mind. But, as a Squire, you have much training to do, so let's head back and start working on a form of schedule for you."

"Aye, sir!" Sonia said proudly, coloured orange and doing her best salute.

"And you know what else? You also get to keep the candy." Tyroth said, tossing the candy bar to the chameleon.

Using her tongue, Sonia once again caught the candy, but as she plucked it from the tip of her tongue, she had a slightly disgusted look on her face.

"Plastic, yuck! If I'm gonna use my tongue like this, I'll need bubblegum!"

Tyroth couldn't help but laugh in agreement.

**And that's a wrap! Sonia sure has grown quite a lot in this little story, and I hope you've all enjoyed reading it.**

**Now, she's well on her way to becoming a fully fledged member of the Chicago Knights, but much work still lay ahead of her.**

**Well, see you all next time, for something else. Once I figure out what...**


End file.
